Little is know of the life cycle of pelagic fish such as marlin, swordfish, sailfish, and tuna which have enormous economic and food value. These fish are believed to swim great distances crossing oceans and many international marine management jurisdictions over periods of weeks and months, but nothing is known of the motivation for this migratory behavior. The adaptation of these fish to the open ocean is so complete, marine biologists have had very little success maintaining healthy specimens in captivity for extended studies.
Much of what is known or believed regarding these animals has been gleaned from the experience and records of conservation minded sportsmen who fish for them. With regard to their feeding habits, it is believed by sportsmen that billfish such as marlin and sailfish locate prey by sight near the ocean surface and do not feed under the low light conditions of ocean depths or at night. As a result, no fishing lures have been developed for use under these low light conditions.
However, during periods of darkness, deepwater marine animals such as squid, which are known to be a significant fraction of the pelagic fish diet, rise in the water column to intermediate depths, and sometimes the surface, where they are more accessible to feeding fish. Additionally, a key visual attraction of these deepwater marine animals is the ability of their bodies to generate light when stressed or excited. This light generation capability is called bioluminescence. A fishing lure designed for these low light conditions that simulates bioluminescence will prove to be highly effective in catching pelagic fish.
A need exists for a fishing lure capable of two fish attracting modes. In one mode, selectively focused, directed emitted light simulates the appearance and motion of baitfish under daylight conditions. In a second mode, selectively focused and sequenced, directed emitted light simulates the bioluminescence of deepwater marine animals under low light conditions such as darkness or a subsurface ocean depths.
A further need exists for a fishing lure capable of using a variety of energy sources that can be replaceable or rechargeable.
A need exists for a fishing lure containing circuitry that can create emitted light in flashes or patterns that can attract specific marine game fish.
A need also exists for a fishing lure that can be adapted to produce light of varying colors and intensities.
A further need exists for a simplified fishing lure possessing circuitry that allows the lure to automatically self-illuminate in the presence of seawater and automatically cease illumination when removed from seawater.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.